Skip to Content

Florence of the North: A Dresden Weekend Trip

Florence of the North: A Dresden Weekend Trip

A Dresden Gay Couple City Trip Weekend in Dresden – Back to Karl’s roots: It always feels like a journey back in time when we are visiting Karl’s family in Eastern Germany, in Dresden to be precise. Not only because of the baroque beauty of Dresden’s architecture monuments like the Zwinger, the Castle of Dresden, or the uncountable art treasures in the museums of the Eastern German City. But also because it was Karl’s hometown where he came out of the closet, got in touch with the local LGBTQ+ community, and started to play Volleyball in the European Gay League.

– paid collaboration with Visit Dresden – 

Dresden Gay City Trip Couple of Men with a rainbow flag in front of the Panorama-Dresden Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Couple of Men with a rainbow flag in front of the Panorama-Dresden Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com

In this article, we would like to share our highlights of Dresden and give you a first glimpse of what it is like to visit the capital city of the German federal state Saxony. Things like the lively LGBTQ+ and gay community, the big number of bars, cafés, and restaurants, as well as the river Elbe, are creating this special Italian city flair, even in Germany. No wonder that one of the nicknames for Dresden is Florence of the North. And now enjoy our Gay City Trip Dresden blog article and see the beauty of the city by the River Elbe through a Couple of Men‘s eyes!

Flying with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines © Coupleofmen.com

Advertisement

Best KLM Flight Offers

We have found attractive offers for flights worldwide and in Europe via Amsterdam with the gay-friendly KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. These include direct connections with KLM or its partner airlines Air France and Delta Air Lines in Economy, Premium Comfort and Business Class. *subject to availability / last check: Spring 2024

Book your KLM Flights here >

Historical background: What is Dresden famous for?

But what are the special features of Dresden for which the city on the River Elbe is so famous? To answer this question, we would have to go back in time to the middle of the 17th century when Friedrich August I of Saxony, called August the Strong was born. In his impactful life as Elector of Saxony, Imperial Vicar, and elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, he was the man behind the so-called Augustan Age (Electorate of Saxony), when in Saxony outstanding products and services emerged in the political, cultural and economic fields.

Dresden-Zwinger and its sexy female statues © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden-Zwinger and its sexy female statues © Coupleofmen.com
Hand-in-hand walking around the popular Zwinger in Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Hand-in-hand walking around the popular Zwinger in Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden Gay City Trip: A Couple of Men enjoying the view over the historical old town city center in the Zwinger © Coupleofmen.com
A Couple of Men enjoying the view over the historical old town city center in the Zwinger © Coupleofmen.com
On the lookout for the satyr with a panflute - Used as a portrait for gay guy hairy legs but little to no upper body/chest hair © Coupleofmen.com
On the lookout for the satyr with a pan flute – used as a portrait for gay guys © Coupleofmen.com

He changed the face of a former Renaissance city into a modern baroque residential city. Until today, the rebuilt old town city center ‘Altstadt’ remains one of the most beautiful cities we have ever seen. Additional to all the famous and remarkable baroque buildings of Dresden, museums like the Dresdner Gemäldegalerie or the Grüne Gewölbe (Green Vault art collection) as well as the invention of the first European hard-paste porcelain brought wealth to Dresden and the region. Let us show you some of the highlights we experienced during our trips to Dresden!

Dresden Gay City Trip That is what Dresden is known to the world - a Florence of the North © Coupleofmen.com
That is what Dresden is known to the world – a Florence of the North © Coupleofmen.com

Innere Altstadt Dresden: Some of our favorite sights

The best thing you can do to get an overview of Dresden is to plan a walk in the Old Town of Dresden called Dresdner Altstadt. All major sights including the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) are located in the recently completely rebuilt old town. We stayed at the Vienna House QF right on the Neumarkt (Newmarket) with a spectacular view over this central part of Dresden. From there, it was just a short walk to the river Elbe and some of our favorite sights: the Zwinger, the Castle, the Castle Church, the Semper Opera building, and the Bruehl Terrace. Looking at the Elbe from the southern side of the city reveals the second, culturally no less interesting part of Dresden, the so-called Neustadt (New town).

Daan loves the stunning view over the Church of our Lady and the Newmarket, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Daan loves the stunning view over the Church of our Lady and the Newmarket, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Trying our fun jumping selfies in front of the Semper Opera, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Trying our fun jumping selfies in front of the Semper Opera, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
We enjoyed the wonderful weather in the Dresden Zwinger, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
We enjoyed the wonderful weather in the Dresden Zwinger, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden Gay City Trip Karl and Daan sitting by a fountain on Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden Gay City Trip Karl and Daan sitting by a fountain on Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com

We visited already the Grüne Gewölbe and the art museums in the Castle during one of our past Dresden trips. Spectacular paintings, crafted art, and porcelain creations can be seen in different museums like the world-famous Albertinum. Another highlight though is a museum a little outside the old town city center dedicated to health, hygiene, and related exhibition, the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, a Museum of Hygiene in Dresden. It is also the home and origin of the so-called Gläserner Mensch (glass human or transparent human) that in the early 20th century offered the opportunity to see and a detailed transparent replica of a human body. Definitely our tip for a slightly different museum visit.

(Sexy) statues and unique paintings at museum 'Albertinum' - Dresden Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
(Sexy) statues and unique paintings at museum ‘Albertinum’ – Dresden Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden is especially famous for its museums and cultural treasures © Coupleofmen.com
Dresden is especially famous for its museums and cultural treasures © Coupleofmen.com
Statues and Dresden's David at the Albertinum, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Statues and Dresden’s David at the Albertinum, Dresden-Altstadt © Coupleofmen.com
Daan in the castle museum in Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Daan in the castle museum in Dresden © Coupleofmen.com

Lunch Tip – Vegetarian Restaurant brennNessel

Daan is a vegetarian. We know you know that by now. But as you can imagine, finding the right vegetarian place in Germany, especially in Saxony known for its hearty home cooking, is not an easy task. One of the best places for vegetarian places in Dresden is undoubtedly the restaurant brennNessel.

Daan cannot wait for lunch at the vegetarian restaurant brennNessel Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Daan cannot wait for lunch at the vegetarian restaurant brennNessel Dresden © Coupleofmen.com

Just a short walk away from the Zwinger, the small but charming restaurant is offering a big variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes paired with a good local beer or Schorle (typical German beverage made by diluting juice or wine with carbonated water or lemonade). If you’d like to get a taste of the Saxonian kitchen, have a look at the adventurous restaurants ‘Sophienkeller’ or ‘Pulverturm’. Not only are the typical local-inspired dishes a delight, the locations are also modeled on historical tradition, including actors and staff in costumes.

Daan-hungry and his delicious pasta at BrennNessel Dresden vegetarian restaurant © Coupleofmen.com
Daan-hungry and his delicious pasta at BrennNessel Dresden vegetarian restaurant © Coupleofmen.com
Karl enjoying his banana weizen beer at the vegetarian restaurant brennNessel Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Karl enjoying his banana weizen beer at the vegetarian restaurant brennNessel Dresden © Coupleofmen.com

FestungXperience – Unique Multimedia Experience

Splendor – Tears – Disasters. Already the slogan of this unique multimedia experience sounds promising. This summer, we finally got to see and experience the well-kept secret underneath the Bruehl Terrace, also known as Europe’s balcony, the Fortress of Dresden.

Daan getting ready for FestungXperience Dresden with headphones and mask © Coupleofmen.com
Daan getting ready for FestungXperience Dresden with headphones and mask © Coupleofmen.com

Dating back to the Middle Ages, the center of Dresden was protected by fortifications until those got obsolete in the 18th century. Today, parts of the rediscovered and publicly available parts of the Fortress of Dresden are a museum with a new, spectacular multimedia experience, the FestungXperience.

Dresden Gay City Trip Arm-in-Arm on the Bruehl Terrace in front of the Art Academy Dresden and above the Fortress of Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Arm-in-Arm on the Bruehl Terrace in front of the Art Academy Dresden and above the Fortress of Dresden © Coupleofmen.com
Learning more about Dresden history by doing the FestungXperience in Dresden hand-in-hand © Coupleofmen.com
Learning more about Dresden history by doing the FestungXperience in Dresden hand-in-hand © Coupleofmen.com

Equipped with a mobile device and earphones, we started our tour through 450 years of history with breathtaking projections and an atmospheric 3D audio technology. Leave your camera and mobile in your pocket and dive into another world, actually an almost forgotten part of Dresden. Good to know: the FestungXperience is just the first of at least two multimedia experiences. The second one called ZwingerXperience is a captivating virtual reality experience planned to open in spring 2021. We cannot wait to visit it during one of our upcoming Dresden gay city trip adventures.

Dresden Gay City Trip: Gay Couple waving a rainbow flag in front of the Church of Our Lady (German: Frauenkirche) © Coupleofmen.com

Gay Dresden Travel Guide

How LGBTQ+ and gay-friendly is Dresden? Did you know that Dresden has a CSD and LGBTQ+ Pride event? Which gay-friendly Hotel should I book when planning my visit to Dresden? Are there any Gay Bars, queer Clubs, or even a gay Sauna in Dresden? We got the answers for your perfect Dresden Gay City Trip!

Plan & Book Your Dresden Trip >

The Lili Elbe – Dresden queer Tour

The colorful LGBTQ+ history of Dresden would be incomplete if we would not talk about the Danish painter and trans woman Lili Elbe. Did you know that the first-ever gender reassignment surgery was accomplished in Dresden in 1930? If you saw the award-winning movie “The Danish Girl” you probably know already a good part of her unique, groundbreaking, and rocky paths as an intersex person at the beginning of the 20th century. Born in the 80s of the late 19th century, Lili, back then known under her birth name Einar Magnus Andreas Wegener, came to Dresden to undergo a series of highly experimental gender reassignment operations. The last surgery, transplantation of a uterus, caused complications of which she died in 1931.

Lili Elbe in 1926 before her gender reassignment operation
Lili Elbe in 1926 before her gender reassignment operation © Wellcome Library, London – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Tombstone of Lili Elbe at cemetery Dresden Trinitatisfriedhof © Coupleofmen.com
Tombstone of Lili Elbe at cemetery Dresden Trinitatisfriedhof © Coupleofmen.com

We had the chance to join the LGBTQ+ Dresden city tour ‘Lili Elbe – Dresden queer’ with our award-winning lesbian tour guide Anett. During this tour, we learned more about Lili, the queer life in Dresden back then as well as more about the LGBTQ+ community in Dresden today. The tour ended at the grave of Lili Elbe at the beautiful Trinitatisfriedhof (Trinity Cemetery) not far from where Karl used to study medicine at the university hospital in Dresden. The Lili Elbe Dresden queer Tour should definitely be on your to-do list for Dresden, to learn more about the LGBTQ+ history of the city.

Gay Kiss - of a Couple of Men | CSD Berlin Gay Pride 2018 © Coupleofmen.com

Gay Germany Travel Guide

According to the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Germany is ranking among the top 10 LGBT-friendly countries in the world and is known as a very welcoming and gay-friendly country according to the annual Gay Travel Index – and, of course, to our own queer experiences!

Click here for our Germany Guide >

Innere & Äußere Neustadt Dresden: Hip, alternative, gay

From the Inner Old Town of Dresden, we took a bus over the Waldschlösschenbrücke bridge for a short beer tour around the Innere Neustadt with Anett, before we started our explorations of what is new in the Newtown. Daan fell in love with the art project in the backyards of Neustadt called Kunsthofpassage while Karl just took in the atmosphere of his former home.

Selfie with award-winning local lesbian tourguide Anett © Coupleofmen.com
Selfie with award-winning local lesbian tourguide Anett © Coupleofmen.com

The decision of where to eat wasn’t easy for us. But it also gave us time to admire the alternative lifestyle. Our favorite stop, always when we are in town for the Dresden gay city trip, is of course the gay bar Boys. But there are more LGBTQ+ locations in Dresden. Make sure to not only visit the beautiful old town city center. Dresden Neustadt is different and definitely a tip for all LGBTQ+ travelers coming to Dresden!

Karl enjyoing some impressive streetart in the Dresden Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
Karl enjyoing some impressive streetart in the Dresden Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
Street art in the alternative part of Dresden teasing Donald Trump © Coupleofmen.com
Street art in the alternative part of Dresden teasing Donald Trump © Coupleofmen.com
Beer break in Dresden Neustadt at the Kunsthofpassage © Coupleofmen.com
Beer break in Dresden Neustadt at the Kunsthofpassage © Coupleofmen.com
The most popular and oldest Gay Bar in Dresden: Boys Bar, or also called just boys for short © Coupleofmen.com
The most popular and oldest Gay Bar in Dresden: Boys Bar, or also called just boys for short © Coupleofmen.com

Dinner Tip: Neustadt Restaurants & Kathy’s Garage

On the other side of the river Elbe, the Neustadt has a diverse and concentrated landscape of restaurants, (gay) bars, and cafés. Immerse yourself in an entirely different, culinary side of the city with burgers, specialties from distant countries, Italian places, and typical Neustadt localities. If you still want to experience the German way, get a drink and something to eat at a German beer garden with a modern twist, Kathy’s Garage with live acts, and modern food creations. Whatever you choose: Enjoy it a Saxon manner: “lasds eisch schmeggn!”.

Daan loves the delicious-vegetarian Flammkuchen at Kathy's Garage, Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
Daan loves the delicious-vegetarian Flammkuchen at Kathy’s Garage, Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
summer atmosphere with live-music at the beer garden of Kathy's Garage, Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
summer atmosphere with live-music at the beer garden of Kathy’s Garage, Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
Karl and a 'small' Radler beer at Kathy's Garage in Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com
Karl and a ‘small’ Radler beer at Kathy’s Garage in Dresden-Neustadt © Coupleofmen.com

Filmnächte am Elbufer and going out in Dresden

Any evening plans while visiting Dresden? What about a movie night outside close to the riverside with the world-famous Dresden city panorama in the background? Sounds too good to be true but it is! For Karl, this is simply a must-do every summer in Dresden, be it for a movie night or concert with friends at the so-called “Filmnächte am Elbufer” (Movie nights at riverside Elbe). A big screen, a remarkable view, and a great selection of old and contemporary movies combined with the sound of Dresden at night. Unforgettable Dresden memories! And after that? It is just a short walk into the exciting nightlife of the Neustadt with its gay bars and very open-minded locations for everyone. A great finale for a wonderful gay city trip to Dresden.

Dresden Gay City Trip: Filmnächte am Elbufer Dresden with a view over the city panorama at night © Coupleofmen.com
Filmnächte am Elbufer Dresden with a view over the city panorama at night © Coupleofmen.com

Good to know: Tips for your Dresden Gay City Trip

Our favorite airline KLM connects Amsterdam and Dresden with direct flights from the whole world via Amsterdam Schiphol in just under 1 hour. But don’t forget about further options for a trip to the East German Capital, either by train, bus, or car. The easiest way by train is the 2-hour connection from Berlin or the 4.5- hour connection from Frankfurt am Main. Dresden does not have an underground system but, instead, one of the best tram networks connecting everything in the city center. We will soon publish more articles about Dresden and Saxony. As you can imagine, there is much more to discover during a Dresden gay city trip!

Please consider our information as suggestions with no guarantee that it will still be like that when traveling there. Though we did our research and all our opinions written in this Gay Dresden Travel Guide are honest, authentic, and true. For any clarifications about your plans for traveling to Germany, email us or follow us along and drop us a line on FacebookTwitterYouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. See you around the world and the next time in Berlin, Hamburg, and Germany! Enjoy Dresden!

Karl & Daan.

Do you like it? PIN IT!

Please note: This trip was made possible in close collaboration with Dresden Tourism and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as well as the tips and help to come from our wonderful readers, followers, new and old friends from all over the world. Nevertheless, our photos, our videos, our opinions, and our writings are our own, as always.

S Copnall

Wednesday 3rd of August 2022

Thank you for the guide. We are looking forward to visiting Dresden in early September. P.s. you are both very cute.

Karl Krause

Wednesday 3rd of August 2022

Awww thank you, Stuart. We hope you enjoy my home town. We will be in Dresden too for Pride happening on the first September weekend in 2022. Will you be there?